A BUSINESS WIRE article dated Dec. 14, 1999, and entitled "Orange County Business Leaders Turn Thumbs Down on El Toro Airport ", described the survey results.  Under U.S. Copyright law,   People Over Planes, Inc. is allowed to provide a fact summary of the article, which we have done below.  A link to the article is provided below, as well as a comparison to Buchanan Field.

The BUSINESS WIRE article reported that the survey was conducted in October and November of 1999 by the public opinion research firm of Penn, Schoen and Berland (PSB).  PSB provides public opinion research and strategic advice to many Fortune 500 companies including AT&T, GTE, Proctor and Gamble, Coca Cola, Hilton Hotels, Microsoft, McDonald’s and Texaco.  The Survey was paid for by the City of Irvine, which is opposed to the building of a commercial airport at the El Toro base.  The Survey polled the CEOs of 300 of Orange County's 2,757 businesses which have sales or revenues of more than $5 million per year.  The 300 were selected randomly.

The BUSINESS WIRE article further reported that the key findings of the survey include:

1.  59% of the surveyed CEOs were opposed to a commercial airport at El Toro,  35% were in support of the airport. 

2.  64% of business leaders believe that “an international airport at El Toro will hurt residential and business property values in Irvine and surrounding communities …” 

3.  Fully 66% of Orange County business leaders say that El Toro should be transformed into a Great Park, offering cultural, recreational, and technological resources.  About three in five (59%) say that Orange County’s quality of life and ability to attract a talented work force would be harmed if an airport were built there. 

4.  30% of surveyed business leaders say that the biggest challenge facing businesses and business leaders is work force recruitment, training and retention.  Another 22% say that traffic, freeways and other ground transportation problems are the biggest challenge.  El Toro Airport ranks 14th on the list of 16 concerns.  It was mentioned by only 3% of respondents. 

5.  A majority of surveyed Business leaders thought that needed airport capacity in this region could be met in other ways than a commercial airport at El Toro.  Even when considering regional projections that the number of air travelers may double by 2020, only 36% consider an international airport at El Toro to be essential while 56% of Orange County business leaders support expansion and full utilization of existing airports – LAX, John Wayne and Ontario – to meet future demand. 

The BUSINESS WIRE article contained a number of relevant quotes, three of which we reproduce here:

1.   Mike Cornelius, Vice President and General Counsel of Western Digital in Orange County stated that “There is a growing concern in the business community that an international airport at El Toro would hurt rather than help Orange County companies.” 

2.   The lead pollster for the Survey, Mr. Douglas Schoen, "The views of Orange County business leaders are very much in tune with current national trends.  We know from studies we have conducted in other parts of the country what tremendous competition there is today among companies for highly educated and trained employees, especially in high-tech. Orange County is wonderfully positioned to keep and attract a talented work force because of its great climate and lifestyle amenities - indeed those are among the country's biggest assets according to the business leaders we surveyed.  Building an international airport at El Toro threatens the quality of life according to most Orange County business leaders. They do not want to squander the greatest advantage that the County enjoys in the marketplace for a highly trained and talented work force." 

3.   Irvine Mayor Christina Shea, a leading opponent of El Toro Airport, stated that “Promoters of an international airport at El Toro have often stated that the number one reason for building the airport is to help business create jobs and economic growth.  We have suspected for years that the airport promoters and the County government have been misrepresenting the views of the business community on this issue – and this poll proves it.” 
 

A reproduction of the article may be found at the web site of The El Toro Airport Information Team  (http://www.eltoroairport.org/etrpa/bus_survey.html). Click here.
 

Comparisons to Contra Costa County and Buchanan Field.

1.  El Toro has 8 times more land mass than Buchanan Field (4,500 acres versus 550 acres).

2.  Central County is served by Oakland Intl. Airport, which is closer by travel time than central Orange County is to LAX.